Review: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allson

SPOILER FREE SECTION

The seventh of nine books in the Fate of the Jedi series, Conviction by Aaron Allston brings the funny in what is a book jam packed with sub-plots and characters. 

Allston did yeoman's work in this book, not only did he tell a good story but he advanced  almost all of the plot lines that have been previously established in this series.  For those who may have missed a book or two in the series, here is my quick and dirty list of what I would say are the major sub-plots running through Fate of the Jedi.

1. Luke and Ben's Quest
2. CoS Daala
3. Jedi Order on Coruscant
4. Tahiri's Trial
5. News Media
6. Slave Uprisings
7. Allana Solo
8. Lecersen-Treen Conspiracy
9. Crazy Jedi
10. Abeloth
11. Lost Tribe of the Sith

Now clearly many of these sub-plots overlap, but it speaks to Allston's skill as an author that he is able to keep all these moving parts together in the flow of a book without it feeling disjointed.  There is a particularly deft way that we see the news media storyline transitioned to a new reporter and the plot interacts with Luke and Ben instead of with the Slave Uprisings.  The best analogy I can think of in terms of this book is like a symphony, there are a lot of instruments playing in the symphony and if they play the right notes together it sounds wonderful, if they do not hit the right notes or play them in the right order it can sound dreadful. 

If you are a fan of Allston's previous work such as the X-Wing series then you should certainly like this book, the caveat being that it is a much more "grounded" book in that there isn't a lot of action taking place in space which is one of the things that Allston handles really well.  If you haven't started reading the FotJ series yet, do not start here, there is too much going on by this book to just jump in.  Start from the beginning its worth it. 

Keep reading below for my Spoiler-filled thoughts on the book.

THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW

Dramatis Personae

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Grand Master (human male)
Ben Skywalker; Jedi Knight (human male)
Vestara Khai; Sith apprentice (human female)
Leia Organa Solo; Jedi Knight (human female)
Han Solo; pilot (human male)
Allana Solo; child (human female)
Tahiri Veila; defendant (human female)
Natasi Daala; Chief of State, Galactic Alliance (human female)
Jaina Solo; Jedi Knight (human female)
Wynn Dorvan; government aide (human male)
Valin Horn; Jedi Knight (human male)
Jysella Horn; Jedi Knight (human female)
Corran Horn; Jedi Master (human male)
Drikl Lecersen; Moff (human male)
Haydnat Treen; Senator (human female)
Seha Dorvald; Jedi Knight (human female)

As discussed above, I see FotJ breaking down into a number of sub-plots, (1) Luke and Ben's Quest, (2)CoS Daala, (3) Jedi Order on Coruscant, (4) Tahiri's Trial, (5) News Media, (6) Slave Uprisings, (7) Allana Solo, (8) Lecersen-Treen Conspiracy, (9) Crazy Jedi, (10) Abeloth, (11) Lost Tribe of the Sith.  I am going to briefly touch upon each of these sub-plots as a way of discussing what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy in Conviction. 

(1) Luke and Ben's Quest:

Unabashedly my favorite thing in the entire FotJ series is the interaction between Luke and Ben.  There is a sense of closeness, humor, love and understanding in their relationship that really comes through in their interaction.  It is a stark contrast too were the two began in the Legacy of the Force series to this series, but it makes logical sense based on their shared tragedies and experiences. 

The quest that the two are on has certainly transformed from retracing Jacen Solo's sojourn to hunting Abeloth, but to me that is fine as long as I get to keep reading Luke-Ben interaction, they could be picking tomatoes for all I care. 

A couple things that I am not sure about is how the Dathomiri Blood Trail became Luke's go to Force move, we see him using it again in this book.   I also wonder about the portrayal of Luke in this book, the way he is plotting and planning when events unfold it seems like he is coming off as almost all knowing in this series. 

I will say I was not expecting a return to Nam Chorios in this series.  This was an incredible way to integrate previous EU material and provide excellent closure for the Luke/Callista relationship.  Force Storms, Theran Listeners, Taselda, Tsils, and drochs, what a fun ride this was.  

(2) CoS Daala:

So maybe many fans were right and Daala was a horrible choice as a character to use for CoS at the end of the Legacy series heading into this series.  I thoroughly dislike her and her characterization seems a little inconsistent.  I can't tell if I am suppose to believe she is a little unhinged evil or if she really believes she is doing good and is just using the ends to justify the means. 

The worst kept secret of all is that Daala was going to be removed from office, thought he way they handled it was interesting.  I wasn't expecting the conspiracy and Jedi Order to end up working together, unknowingly on the Jedi's hand. 

I really enjoyed the Daala in prison scenes, especially the verbal fencing that she did with Tahiri.

Of course one of the big developments in the book that people are talking about is Boba FettDaala's close relationship with Fett and her use of Mandalorians as a group that she could trust this made sense for who she would hire to help get her out.  I just hope that they don't make Fett and/or the Mandalorians into Daala's lapdogs. 

(3) Jedi Order on Coruscant

Between internal strife, crazy Jedi, sieges and a couple leadership transitions, the Jedi Order has seen better days.  Now one would think that Jedi Master's would be able to sense the deception and ulterior motives of Senator Treen and General Jaxton.  The cool thing is that the temporary GA ruling Triumvirate is making me feel like we are in ancient Rome. 

I like the fact that we are getting away from the dangerously close to the Dark side Corran Horn, but sadly it appears that Abeloth's spell wasn't broken over the Horn-pops (Horn kids frozen in Carbonite). It is also nice to see Master Sebatyne hissing less when she talks (I'm looking at you Troy Denning).

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jedi Knight Seha Dorvald, or as I like to call her, Ben's potential love interest #1, with Vestara being BPLI #2.  Seha was a bit character introduced in LotF as a young Jedi spying for Jacen Solo/Caedus who helped Ben run away from the Temple to Ziost were he finds Ship.  Seha is only 4-5 years older then Ben and with the red hair, you have to wonder if her character is being kept active for possible future romantic entanglements.

(4) Tahiri's Trial

I suppose we could all see this one coming a mile away.  I enjoyed the prison scenes much more then the courtroom scenes with Tahiri.  She is one of my favorite characters, so I am certainly happy that she has lived to fight another day.  It has me wondering what her next move is going to be though.  

(5) News Media

Kandra Nilitz is the reporter featured in this book, the character isn't particularly memorable and is more of a plot device to get Valin and Jysella Horn off Coruscant and later aid Luke, Ben and Vestara.  She is no Madhi Vaandt.

(6) Slave Uprisings

I love Klatooine.  It's Scooby Doo in space, ok not really, but I still like alien Space-Dog-People.  This was one of the stronger sub-plots in the book because it revolved around Leia, Han and Allana and later brought in Tenel Ka.  The dramatic tension of whether or not Tenel, Allana, or even C-3P0 would die actually had me worried that someone was going to bite the dust in this one.  

(7) Allana Solo

So the whole Allana becomes Amelia and is a war orphan thing, has a bit of the Clark Kent/Superman how stupid is Metropolis feel to it.  At least the Lost Tribe figured this out pretty quickly.  We will see if this potential revelation and the search for the Jedi Queen  will play a larger role in the conclusion of this series or is merely carrying water for a future set of novels. 

What I appreciate most about Allston and some of the other authors in this series is that we are taking time to develop Allana as a character.  Slowly building her up and ingratiating her with the audience.  It will be interesting to see how big of a role Allana will play in the EU going forward as it seems like she will become one of the key figures when she is an adult.

(8) Lecersen-Treen Conspiracy

 If I had the time and money I would so be in the 501st Legion, so I love the fact that Allston is using Cosplay in his book.  It is a subtle yet awesome tip of the hat to fans in my opinion.  I am glad that the ground work for the conspiracy that was laid early in the series is seeing some payoff.  I was a bit worried because it was briefly touched upon and then ignored for so long. 

(9) Crazy Jedi

I am all set with crazy Jedi. Though I am really curious about how the Valin/Jysella story was wrapped up off stage in this book.  I am going to have to re-read it and try to digest this one again.  

(10) Abeloth

Tip to the Sith, supremely powerful, extremely tough to kill ancient evil creature wants to come over for dinner, do not let her in.  I don't like the Abeloth character in general, but I liked her better in this book.  Frankly I just want her to get killed off as I am more interested in the LTotS.  

(11) Lost Tribe of the Sith

The next book in the series Ascension should be fun as Abeloth is coming to Kesh and it looks like all heck is about to break loose. I am really enjoying the LTotS as its a fairly original take on the go to bad guy of the Star Wars universe.  Hopefully the Sith put up more of a fight then the Theran Listeners did.


CONCLUSION:


Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allston made me remember Planet of Twilight and Callista Ming very fondly in this book.  A great performance by a writer for a book that with so many moving parts could have been a real train wreck.  I give Conviction 8 out of 10. 

In closing, the quote of the book:


"Join me, Han, and we can rule the galaxy as wife and husband."~Leia Organa Solo

Review: Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived by Paul S. Kemp

 
SPOILER FREE SECTION

Deceived is set before the events of the previously released novel The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance.  The book is set approximately in 3653 BBY in the events of the sacking of Coruscant and its immediate aftermath, while the negotiations for what will become the treaty of Coruscant occur in the background. The Epilogue does occur in the future after the events of the novel proper, but just how far in the future is unclear.

Dramatis Personae

Adraas; Sith Lord (human male)
Angral; Sith Lord (human male)
Arra Yooms; child (human female)
Aryn Leneer; Jedi Knight (human female)
Eleena; servant (Twi'lek female)
Malgus; Sith Lord (human male)
Ven Zallow; Jedi Master (male, species unknown)
Vrath Xizor; mercenary (human male)
Zeerid Korr; smuggler (human male)

The book revolves around the stories of three main characters, Aryn Leneer, Darth Malgus, and Zeerid Korr.

Author Paul S. Kemp described the Point of View (POV) characters thus in an interview I conducted;

I like to think that Malgus is a complicated character.  He embodies much of what we think of when we think of the Sith – he’s violent, values strength and power, and in general regards peace/passivity as weakness.  At the same time, he’s possessed of a keen sense of honor, and has a powerful attachment to Eleena.  These somewhat contrary impulses give him his internal conflict and drive his character arc. 


 The other two main POV character are Aryn Leneer, a Jedi Knight and Force empath, who has very personal reasons for confronting Malgus, and Zeerid Korr, a former Havoc Squad commando who is in deep to a criminal syndicate known as The Exchange. 

One of the strengths that Kemp has as an author is crafting very interesting and complex characters.  The strength of Deceived isn't its plot (while good) or its action (while great), the real strength is the development of its characters and their interaction.  One flaw that many authors fall into is that there characters are not internally consistent.  They set up the character with certain traits, philosophies and motivations, and then for the sake of the plot they have the character do something that doesn't make any sense given what we know about that character.  Kemp constructs some really interesting characters that while they evolve through the course of the novel, the maintain that internal consistency that makes there actions and decisions make sense and makes the novel feel like a very satisfying journey.

Deceived is all about relationships.  The relationship of Aryn Leneer to her Jedi Master Ven Zallow, the relationship between Zeerid Korr to his family, the relationship of Aryn to Zeerid, the relationship between Malgus and Eleena, the relationship between Malgus and the other Sith in the power structure, and ultimately the relationship between Aryn and Malgus.  It is almost like the characters are asteroids stuck in orbit around each other, they cannot stop crashing into each other, and then spinning off in strange new directions. 

I am a sucker for a good villain and for the flawed hero.  In this novel we had heroes stepping into the dark and villains stepping into the light, it was a great story and a tremendous introduction to a character I hope we see more of in the future in Malgus.

Deceived gets a 9.5 out of 10 lightsabers. 

There be Spoilers Below....

Continue reading for a discussion of the novel in-depth with lots of spoilers.  I will be breaking the discussion down by character for the sake of organization. 

I. Aryn Leneer

Aryn is a fascinating character.  She is a Jedi, but her specialization is as a Force Empath.  As far as I can tell from my reading of the Expanded Universe, this is a bit of a first in terms of Jedi specialization.  It also seems like a very dangerous ability for a Jedi strong in the force to possess.  The ability not only to feel your own emotions but to experience the emotions of others strongly through the Force would take a Jedi with the most strict discipline and durasteel willpower in order to handle the emotional trauma that could potentially affect you.  As we see with Aryn, her emotions can get the better of her.  Not only do we see the fact that she has more then the traditional Jedi emotional attachment to her Master (Ven Zallow), but we also have hints that when she was comforting Zeerid over the grief of his wife's death and daughters maiming there was some kind of romantic relationship formed.

Aryn comes very close to falling to the Dark Side in this novel, and about 2/3 of the way through the book I thought one of the two possible outcomes of the novel would be Aryn falling and apprenticing herself to Malgus. 

II. Zeerid Korr (Z-Man)

From the excerpts we were provided prior to the books release, I was most skeptical of Zeerid's character.  For some reason the whole "Z-Man" nickname drives me nuts and instantly makes me want to dislike the character for giving himself such a silly nickname.  But once I read the book and really understood Zeerid, it makes sense, it helps that he is also aware of how silly the name sounds.  But Zeerid is someone trying to compartmentalize his life, for his work for the The Exchange  he is in effect creating a new persona in the person of Z-Man.  Creating false character traits such as his gambling problem, and zealously guarding the secrets of his daughter Arra.

While I am not yet a parent, the defining character trait of Zeerid is the parental instinct.  Everything he does in this book is for his daughter.  He may not be making the proper choices, but he is doing what he thinks he must do to provide for his daughter.  We see the extreme of this at the end of the book with him consciously deciding to commit murder to protect the secret of the existence and condition of his daughter from even potentially reaching The Exchange.

Zeerid in his previously life was a member of the Republic's Havoc Squad and fought alongside of Aryn Leneer.  The interesting and ambiguous question of the book, is when did the romantic relationship between Aryn and Zeerid begins.  I may be wrong in my reading of it, but the inference that I got was that something was going on between the two of them before the death of Zeerid's wife.  This certainly would lend a certain moral ambiguity to both characters, but would seem realistic given the conditions of warfare and long separation from family back home.

III. Darth Malgus (Veradun)

Malgus may be my favorite EU Sith.  I will be re-reading Deceived, and I want to think about it some more, but the depth that the character possesses is fascinating.  His relationship with Eleena is so conflicted and tragic.  I do believe that some part of Malgus truly loved her.  But I think the key to understanding the relationship is in the Sith philosophy itself, the exultation of self above all else.  The Sith look inward, at the end of the day the most important person to Malgus will always be Malgus.  His love of Eleena is less important to him then the fate of the Sith Empire and his knowledge and understanding of the Force. 

A very interesting aspect to Malgus is that while he didn't like playing politics as seen by his relationships with Angral and Adraas, he has a very nimble and powerful intellect.  He uses logic to reach his conclusions and is very philosophical for what on the surface appears to be the epitome of a Sith warrior. I really enjoyed his conflict/warfare as a whetstone concept.  The fact that he believed peace would make the Sith and the Empire weak and that they needed conflict to exist, in effect war could never end.

There are some interesting parallels to be drawn between the fall of Jacen Solo and his becoming of Darth Caedus and Darth Malgus.  The idea of sacrificing something/someone you love to attain Dark Side power in the Force is an interesting concept.  For Jacen it ended up murdering his aunt Mara Jade, for Malgus it was murdering his lover.

There is also a certain code of honor to Malgus.  While it hardly makes him a hero, it makes him more layered of a character.  Is it just an extension of excessive pride?  I really like the contract of how he let Aryn live because she spared Eleena, and then he sought ought and killed Adraas and used the fact that Adraas had called Eleena names a  way to increase his connection to the Dark Side and kill Adraas.  Its odd that he both grants mercy and exacts revenge because of the way his Eleena was treated, yet he is the one who murdered her.  There is a certain thought process, similar to what we saw with Jacen, among Sith that is circular and insane.

There is so much more to say, but lets face it, Malgus is just a bad, bad, Sith Lord. 

IV. Supporting Characters

Some interesting supporting character tidbits.  The unnamed female Mandalorian bounty hunter is  apparently Shae Vizla, could it be an ancestor of the future Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla?  I know the spelling is slightly different but it would be an interesting connection.

The mercenary Vrath Xizor, shares a surname with the Falleen Prince Xizor, of course these two are of different species but its interesting to see the name Xizor in the Star Wars Expanded Universe again.

Eleena is a rather tragic character in the novel.  I am not sure what to think about her.  Is it a case of the Stockholm Syndrome? Or is this the case of genuine affection by Eleena towards her Veradun who rescued her and she willingly killed and waged war against his enemies to help and protect him.  Putting up with the Imperial anti-alien bias to remain with her lover and Master.  I wonder just how much she thought she understood about Malgus' character and that he would ever be able to choose her over his drive for power.

Off Topic Review: Transformers: Exodus by Alex Irvine

Transformers: Exodus written by Alex Irvine was released June 22, 2010 and in effect serves as a prequel novel to the events that take place in the Transformers movies.  It also ties into the Transformers: War for Cybertron video game released at the same time.

The story follows the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron before they become the characters we know them as later on.  Optimus Prime begins his life as Orion Pax a data clerk in the Cybertronian city of Iacon.  Pax's intelligence and curiosity bring him t the attention of the Archivist and overseer of the Hall of Records, Alpha Trion. 

Megatron on the other hand begins his life as a nameless gladiator, fighting for his life in the lowly pits of Kaon.  Megatron is very different in the beginning of the book then he is at the end, but the seeds of meglomaniacal villain that he will become are there. 

The tale of Optimus Prime and Megatron's relationship is interesting and to me echos the Xavier-Magneto relationship from the X-Men franchise with Prime in the Xavier role and Megatron in the Magneto role.  Reading the story you know that the split between the two is inevitable, and you also get the sense that Megatron is being less than honest with Prime about his ideas and intentions.

One of the more curious and interesting characters in the story is Starscream.  I am a fan of the '80s Generation 1 Transformers series.  So my conception of Starscream is the whiny, bumbling usurper.  There is a certain nobility, though misguided to Irvine's portrayal of Starscream.  There is also more skill and cunning then the character is often given.  This was my favorite character in the book.

For my fellow Star Wars fans, all the talk of Ion cannons and vibroblades will make you feel at home.  

My biggest issue with the book is that at times the pacing seems off.  While it makes sense to use in universe terms for the passage of time "cycles," this often left me wondering especially in the first half of the book just how much time was passing.  It seems like the Megatron-Pax relationship before their falling out as well as the surrounding revolutionary events where happening to quickly.  Some of this may be explained by the difference in how a robotic mind would interpret and analyze data, theoretically quicker then we organics, but on the whole, this seemed a little off to me. 

On the whole it was nice that the books had throwbacks to the various TV incarnations as well as the movies, and other media.  The Matrix of Leadership brings me right back to the 1986 cartoon movie and its epic awesomeness. 

I am a total child of the '80s, I had all the Transformers toys and watched the cartoon all the time.  But I only occasionally watched Beast Wars, and haven't read any of the other novels or Transformers comics.  I have seen the new Transformers live action movies, so it is from the perspective of a fairly casual fan that I view this book.  In the end reading this book brought me back to the '80s and in my head inspite of the recent movies, I can't help seeing my favorite Autobots and Decepticons in their Generation 1 forms. 

Transformers: Exodus is an entertaining and interesting read that gives you a different look at the origin of the Autobots and Decepticons as well as their opposing Leaders.

Thanks to Transformers Wiki TFWIKI for reference and images.

Thanks to Alex Irvine for the autographed copy of Transformer: Exodus.  You can follow Alex Irvine on his website and on Twitter.

Review: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel by John Jackson Miller

I. SETTING

Sentinel is set in 3960 BBY on the planet Kesh in two principle locations, the capital city of Tahv and the area surrounding the Marisota River.  The Sith have now been on Kesh for 1040 years, so their society and culture is very ingrained.  What we have is a very caste based system, and in this system a fall from power has dramatic consequences. 

II. DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Jelph Marrain, Male, former Jedi Knight and Jedi Covenant Secret Agent
Ori Kitai, Female, Lost Tribe of the Sith
Grand Lord Lillia Venn, Leader of Lost Tribe of the Sith
Candra Kitai, Mother of Ori Kitai and disgraced High Lord.
Lord Flen Luzo, Male, Lost Tribe of the Sith
Lord Sawj Luzo, Male, Lost Tribe of the Sith
Gadin Badolfa, Architect and political go between for Sith
Krynda Draay, Female founder of Jedi Covenant (Mentioned only)
Jedi Master Lucien Draay, Son of Krynda, member of Jedi Covenant (Mentioned only)
Darth Revan, Fallen Jedi/Sith (Mentioned only)

III. STORY

At four chapters and 29 pages, Sentinel is a quick read but is really part of the larger story that began in LTotS #5: Purgatory.  It tells the story of the relationship between two outcasts from their respective societies former Jedi Jelph Marrain and former Sith Ori Kitai. 

She opened her eyes and glared at him. “I can feel it in your thoughts. You think I’m beautiful. You think you want me. You want to trust me. But you’re looking behind every word I say, trying to find me out, trying to trap me. Because of who I am.”

Jelph looked down at the water. He hadn’t known why he had come all this way when so much was at risk. Not until now. “I think I know who you are, Ori.” He stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder.  She shrank at his touch.

This was a fun little romp through the LTotS, which gave us a some action, some romance, an interesting take on the Sith society/philosophy, and a bit of a twist at the end.  It also did a good job tying this series of stories into John Jackson Miller's previous work on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic series by having Jelph be a former member of the Jedi Covenant.  It also does a nice job of tying into the Knights of the Old Republic video games by bringing Revan into the story.

There isn't much to criticize in this story, other then the fact that Miller completely glossed over a fight scene at the end of Chapter 2 and the beginning of Chapter 3.  It wouldn't have added a ton to the story, but it just felt like a rather large omission in the flow of the story.

If you haven't gotten into the LTotS story yet, starting with #5 and #6 is a good place to start.  Jelph and Ori are interesting characters and has me wondering what ramifications this story may have for certain members of the LTotS in the Fate of the Jedi novel series.

IV. CONCLUSIONS

Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel gets 8.5 out of 10.  Miller has a real nice way of crafting memorable sentences and there are a couple good ones in here. I look forward to continuing to read the LTotS story.  


You can download LTotS: Sentinel at StarWars.Com as a PDF or on Amazon.com for the KINDLE

Review: Star Wars: Knight Errant

I.  SETTING

Knight Errant is set 1,032 years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY).  It takes place in the Grumani Sector of the Outer Rim. Within an area of space intentionally cut off from communications and interstellar travel with the Republic.  This is ineffect the wild wild west controlled by numerous rival Sith Lords or would be Sith Lords.  The novel is also set in the midst of what is known as the Charge Matrica, what is this you ask?  Well giving that away would be giving away one of the best parts of the novel.  So read it to find out.

II. DRAMATIS PERSONAE(Unofficial)

Kerra Holt, Female Human, Jedi Knight
Jarrow Rusher, Male Human, Mercenary Artillery Brigadier and Captain of Diligence
Narsk Ka'hane, Male Bothan Spy/Saboteur
Lord Damian, Male Human, Sith Lord
Lord Odion, Male Human, Sith Lord
Beadle Lubboone, Male Duros, Member of Rusher's Brigade 
Tan Tengo, Female Sullustan
Lord Dromika, Female Human, Sith Lord
Lord Quillan, Male Human, Sith Lord
Saaj Calician, Male Krevaaki, Sith Lord
Arkadia, Female Human, Sith Lord
Vilia, Female Human, Sith Lord
Ryland Dackett, Male Human, Member of Rusher's Brigade

III. STORY

The story of Knight Errant is broken down into sections: Prologue, Part One: The Daimanate, Part Two: The Dyarchy, Part Three:  The Arkadianate. 

Its always  nice when a book suprises you with the direction its story takes, in Knight Errant I didn't entirely get what I was expecting but I found something else entirely that  I enjoyed.  There are three characters that play very large roles in this book, Kerra Holt, Jarrow Rusher, and Narsk Ka'hane.  With the comic book already out as well as from all the publicity for the book, we already knew that it was going to star Kerra Holt as our hero, a lone Jedi out in wilds of Sith space.  What I didn't know or expect, was that arguably the real star of this book is Jarrow Rusher.  The mercenary Brigadier General of a mobile artillery brigade based off of a custom built spaceship that worked as independent contractors for Sith in their internecine battles.

In Rusher we find a dedicated individual who is good at his job and cares for those under his leadership, but who ultimately lacks a real direction or cause to believe in.  Through the course of the book, through his interactions with Kerra Holt and others, Rusher undergoes a similar transformation (though for different reasons) that we see Han Solo undergo in the Star Wars movies.  This transition from scoundrel/fringe figure  to trusted ally and friend is a transformation that does not happen easily or seamlessly for Rusher, but that fits with the nature of his character and sets the stage for events to transpire after the novel. 

Rusher plays a very interesting role, almost as a mentor to Kerra Holt.  In Kerra we have a lead character, who though she often speaks with certitude and forcefulness, really is inexperienced and unprepared for what she is dealing with.  Rusher often acts as a voice of reason, testing and challenging Kerra through the novel, as they both try to do what they believe is right for those they feel responsible for. 

Kerra is an interesting choice for a leading character.  In many ways I think that  her character works better for a comic series then a stand alone novel.  We have a young Jedi Knight with a very well developed set of organizational skills from her time working with Master Vaanar Treece.  We also have a Jedi Knight attempting to act as savior for an entire sector of space.  She is a bit over her skis on this one, fortunately she realizes this even though she doesn't let that stop her.  But when we meet Kerra in the novel, as good as her intentions are, she lacks experience and that effects her judgment and the choices that she makes.  In a comic or a novel series we would get to see the evolution of her character as she matures and gains experience.  There is less opportunity for this kind of growth in a stand alone novel. 

Narsk is fun, who doesn't like a Bothan spy?  Like Rusher, Narsk is for hire to the highest  bidder.  An independent contractor who floats in and out of jobs for Sith Lords.  He also has a handy dandy stealth suit that helps him in his snooping.   The best part about Narsk is that he is the kind of character that we need more of, the non-Force user, who uses his unique skills and intellect to match up against powerful Force-users, in this case Sith Lords, and occasionally get the better of them. 

John Jackson Miller does a very good job creating unique Sith Lords and fresh perspectives on what a Star Wars Villain should be.  Without giving too much of the plot or story away, we have seven main Sith in this book, Odion, Damian, Dromika, Quillian, Calican, Arkadia, and Vilia. 

With such extreme personalities and world views as these Sith possess it would be easy for them to become caricatures instead of characters, but Miller does a fine job in the novel fleshing out the characters and the reasons that they act the way they do. 

Vilia was interesting and made me think of  Ta'a Chume the former Hapan Queen Mother that Jacen Solo, shall we say, "dealt with."  I am intrigued by this character and hope that she reappears in the comic series. 

Odion and Damian are a very odd pair.  Damian is over the top and straight up nuts, while I feel like as crazy as Odion is, he is a little more grounded in reality. 

The Dyarchy section of the book features, Dromika, Quillian, and Calican, and is at times creepy, scary and sad. 

My favorite of the new Sith Lords that we meet is Arkadia, who has a very interesting perspective on chaos.  She is a Sith that runs a well ordered society and doesn't seem superficially or wantonly evil.  Of course appearances can often be deceiving. 

IV. CONCLUSIONS

At 372 pages, Knight Errant is a good sized novel.  As a debut novel, it is a very solid effort by John Jackson Miller.  My only real criticism is that it felt like the last third of the novel was significantly better then the first two-thirds.  Not that they were bad, but the ramping up of the plot, the twists and the fiendish new female Sith Lords really made the third section a ton of fun.  If this book starts a little slowly for you, stick with it the ending is well worth it and sets up tons of story telling possibilities for the comic series or future sequel novels. 

Knight Errant, the novel gets 8 out of 10 Lightsabers.

Review: Star Wars: Crosscurrent by Paul S. Kemp

"There be dragons."

I. Setting

Crosscurrent is a bifurcated novel, part of the story takes place in 5,000 BBY and part of the story takes place in 41.5 ABY.

The part of the story in 5,000 BBY is set during the reign of Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow and The Great Hyperspace War.  The events in this part of the timeline tie into the Lost Tribe of the Sith e-books as well as the Fate of the Jedi regarding the Lost Tribe of the Sith.

The part of the story that takes place in 41.5 ABY is set following the travels of disillusioned Jedi Knight Jaden Korr and the salvaging crew of the Junker. The events in this timeline also involve Darth Kryat's One Sith that appear in Legacy of the Force novel series and the Legacy comic series by Dark Horse Comics.

II. Dramatis Personae

Drev Hassin; Jedi Padawan (Askajian male)
Jaden Korr; Jedi Knight (human male)
Kell Douro; assassin/spy (Anzat male)
Khedryn Faal; captain, Junker (human male)
Marr Idi-Shael; first mate, Junker (Cerean male)
Relin Druur; Jedi Master (human male)
Saes Rrogon; Sith Lord; captain, Harbinger (Kaleesh male)

III. Story (Caution: Spoilers)

One of my pet peeves with some Star Wars novels is that it seems like every other character is human.  In a galaxy that is set up as so diverse and rich, its disappointing that we get so few interesting characters of other species.  I loved Kemp's interesting cast of characters, of the 7 main characters we get only 3 humans and 4 aliens.  Of these aliens we got some really interesting choices.  A male Askijian, do you remember Jabba's oh so attractive dancing girl Yarna?  I cannot recall ever reading about a male of the species before Drev Hassin and his very large appetite for humor and life make a brief but memorable appearance in this novel.

Marr Idi-Shael, the Cerean navigator of the salvage vessel Junker, is a force-sensitive math wiz.  Not only is his numerical skills cool, but the idea to use it has his way of visualizing and interfacing with the Force is a very interesting touch. 

Saes Rrogon gives us an idea of what General Grievous may have been like before his cybernetic transformation.  As a Sith wearing a bone mask he presents a dramatic visage and with his bone hunting masks gives us an interesting flavor of Kaleesh culture. 

By far my favorite of these alien characters is Kell Douro.  Douro is an Anzat assassin and spy working in the employ of the One Sith.  It also appears that he is force sensitive to some extent because he is able to use mind control of victims.   Douro uses feeder appendages that are stored in his cheeks that extend and travel up a victims nostrils into the brain cavity.  He uses these to consume his victims' brains which he calls "Soup."

After reading Kemp's short story collection Ephemera, its clear how strong an influence the horror drama has had upon him, and his use of Kell Douro and the clones (which we will get to later) are the best use of horror elements in a Star Wars novel.  While I enjoyed both Death Troopers and Red Harvest, neither novel felt truly like Star Wars, both felt a bit like they could have been written with other/non-Star Wars characters and been just as good of books.  Crosscurrent succeeds as a main stream EU novel that has tremendously creepy horror elements, these elements do not take you out of the story but fit organically with the larger narrative.

The driving force behind the novel is the struggle within of Jaden Korr, trying to come to terms with killing Corellians during the assault on Centerpoint Station during the Legacy of the Force series, Korr is left with doubts about just about everything.

For those unfamiliar Korr was trained by Jedi Master Kyle Katarn, and his master introduced a rather peculiar view of the Force to Korr.

The Force is a tool, Jaden.  Sometimes a weapon, sometimes a salve.  Dark side, light side, these are distinctions of insignificant difference.  Do not fall into the trap of classificatin.  Sentience curses us with a desire to categorize and draw lines, to fear that after this be dragons.  But that is illusion.  After this is not dragons but more knowledge, deeper understanding.  Be at peace with that.

The novel follows the tale of Jaden and Jedi Master Relin Druur, as they team up with the crew of the Junker, as they attempt to investigate a mysterious distress signal and destroy a 5,000 year old Sith ship full of the Dark side enhancing Lignan crystals.

Without giving too much of the story away the story also introduces a group of 10 clones that escape into space at the end of the novel.  These clones may include clones of Lumiya, Lassin, Mara Jade-Skywalker, others and possibly children of these clones.  What is weird is that either the Emperor or Grand Admiral Thrawn began this cloning project by combining DNA samples of Jedi and Dark Jedi/Sith to create these clones.  It sets up some interesting potential interactions potentially if there is a living Mara Jade-Skywalker clone and she were to come into contact with Ben or Luke.

The story of these clones and the adventures of Korr and the crew of the Junker will be featured in Paul S. Kemp's sequel Riptide,  due to be released 9/27/11.

IV. Conclusions

Crosscurrent gets 9 out of 10 lightsabers, is a creepy fun ride, that delves into force philosophy and makes you re-examine right and wrong, dark side and light side. 

First Impressions: Star Wars: Knight Errant (Spoiler Free)

Just picked up my copy of John Jackson Miller's new novel Knight Errant at my local bookseller, Mysterious Galaxy, a cool little bookstore here in San Diego where I attended a Karen Traviss book signing a few years ago. 

Knight Errant weighs in at 372 pages, a solid paperback novel, featuring a full color 16 page insert from the Knight Errant comic book series Knight Errant #1.  The comic insert is very well colored, but the panels are shrunk down pretty small.  Its the same size as a typical paperback page with a fairly large white border around the comic book panels.

The comic book excerpt looks to be well bound in with the rest of the novel pages, only time will tell to see whether it will fall out or not, but it looks to be a pretty solid job.

The cover of the novel itself features one of my favorite Star Wars cover arts ever by artist John Van Fleet.
(Author's note:  If this cover art is made available as a fine art print, I am all over it.)

On the cover, Kerra Holt is illuminated in green from the light of her lightsaber on a snow covered world with snow flakes blowing around her.  Star Wars is also embossed on the cover, I love embossing on covers.

It also includes an excerpt from Paul S. Kemp's forthcoming The Old Republic Novel, Deceived.  This excerpt is the first part of chapter 1 of Deceived and has been previously been released with the rest of Chapter 1 on-line. 

The book also includes an updated novel timeline, however there is nothing new here that we haven't seen.  No new novels are listed on it that haven't appeared in a recent timeline update.

One of the interesting omissions is that there is no Dramatis Personae (DP).  The DP is a staple of the Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU), it provides the reader with a list of characters to appear in the novel.  The DP in a Star Wars novel also typically lists, species, gender and affiliation or profession.  This is a curious choice for a stand alone (though not a typical stand alone, given the concurrent comic series) with new and unfamiliar characters.  If a reader becomes a little confused its a nice tool to be able to turn back to, too remember who is who in a book particularly if you are reading it in multiple sittings with gaps of time in between.

Edit: I received the following comments from author John Jackson Miller via Twitter

@jjmfaraway John Jackson Miller

@Pete_Morrison Decision to omit Dramatis Personae was mine; many characters' names and descriptions are necessarily secret at the beginning.

@jjmfaraway John Jackson Miller

@Pete_Morrison ...wanted to preserve the surprises. Shouldn't be any trouble keeping the cast straight, everyone's very distinct! :-)

@jjmfaraway Thanks for the info on the Dramatis personae. I will be updating my story with it tomorrow.

@Pete_Morrison No problem at all. You were the first person to notice it was missing!

The cover price is $7.99 which is typical for a Star Wars paperback at this point.

Knight Errant looks like a solidly put together book, and I can't wait to dive into the story.

Off Topic Review: Ephemera: Dark Stories from the mind of Paul S. Kemp

I wasn't sure what to expect when I downloaded Paul S. Kemp's Ephemera collection, but since I enjoyed his Star Wars novel Crosscurrent and the excerpts from Deceived, I decided to give this bargain priced collection a shot.

After reading Kemp's Star Wars works as well as this collection it's clear to see why Ephemera is the #1 E-Book at Drive Thru Horror, and why the publishing team at Del Ray and Lucasfilm was so quick to throw more work Kemp's way.

Ephemera presents a very dark series of tales, these eclectic stories show Kemp's flexibility and skills as a story teller.  At 129 pages it provides a quick read with some very memorable characters and some unfortunate results.  If there is one theme present through this milieu of fantasy and horror, its the idea of flawed/damaged characters struggling with choices and their consequences. 

Ephemera contains 6 short stories: The Signal, One Thousand and One Words, Marlboro Man, Confession, The Spinner, Stillborn, and The Sixth Floor.  Of these stories only Confession, The Spinner, and Stillborn are related because they are all set in Kemp's fictional world of New Dineen.  Though that is basically their only connection as far as I can tell.

From the Amazon Product description: 

Multiple NY Times bestselling author Paul S. Kemp has collected seven of his best fantasy short stories into this compelling volume of dark imagination. Ephemera is a wonderful introduction to the work of one of today's popular fantasists.

Ephemera explores the fantastic through the eyes of a private detective who hunts the occult in 1930s NYC, a demonologist who may or may not be mad, a witch on the run from religious fanatics who want her unborn baby, a maimed talespinner on a doomed boat, and many others.

Each story contains a brief introduction by the author.

A quick description and thoughts on each of the stories: 

The Signal

Abe Gustafsson is the brawn side of a brain and brawn Occult Investigations firm, unfortunately the his partner is recently deceased and a old love interest walks into Abe's office with a mystery only he can solve.

This story reads like a classic 1930s PI story, Kemp's use of characters, language and descriptions immediately make you feel immersed in this classic genre, I could practically see myself sitting in the smoke filled black and white office.  The twist is the horror element that is added to the story and makes it both creepy and very interesting and certainly makes you think twice about visiting a certain NYC landmark. 

One Thousand and One Words

Jack Cole is a maimed WWII veteran war photographer working as a free lance newspaper photographer in Boston.  Jack is hot on the tail of a mysteries Boston Brahmin Howard Doyle. Doyle is a bit like The Great Gatsby's Jay Gatsby, uber wealthy and mysterious.  Except unknown to Jack, Howard Doyle has a dark secret and his own agenda for agreeing to be interviewed by Jack. 

This story contains one of my favorite few lines from the collection:

I had been trying to get a picture of Howard Doyle since the day I bought my Polaroid.  He was as rich as God and as mysterious as Lucifer.  Everyone wanted to know more about him and wild speculations filled the society pages.  Or at least they had before the end of the world had become front page news.

 The story ends on a cliff hanger, but is very satisfying and creepy.  The cat is not the only thing that curiosity killed. 

Marlboro Man

Marlboro Man is the story of a fallen angel turned serial killer Uriel, and his misadventures in a world where God is AWOL.  For Uriel "killing is a need, a drive, like eating.  You can't blame an angel for eating, right?"

I was blown away by this story, I am a huge fan of religious imagery and themes in literature, television and movies, and Marlboro Man provides a very fun dark spin on angels.  What would Dexter by like as an angel?  Probably a lot like Uriel.

Confession

Sorcery, demons, religious conversion and a bit of a Fight Club twist, provide this tale of Malkiir Zhorne an interesting look into New Dineen.

As Paul S. Kemp says in his prologue to the story; "To date, I've only revealed bits of New Dineen in various short stories."  New Dineen may not be as expansive as Tolkien's Middle Earth or Lucas' Star Wars Universe, but if Confession and the other two stories in this collection are any gauge, its a large and dark world filled with strange magic and some very ill behaved individuals.

The Spinner

Set in New Dineen, The Spinner tells a tale about Zhayim, a former pirate who is missing his left hand and right thumb and has become a "Spinner" a storyteller on sea faring vessels to appease the god of the Sea.

As Kemp describes the story it "explores the boundaries of faith in the world of New Dineen, what it can do, and what it cannot."  In New Dineen, the mind and faith have very strong impacts on the world, but what is real and what is imagined?  The Spinner provides some answers but ends with more questions and is up to the readers interpretation. 

Stillborn

Stillborn is a difficult read because it contains some very real life violence on the other hand it is a wonderfully crafted story.  Emsha is a Sister in the Sisterhood of the Goddess, but to most people in New Dineen she is a witch.  The autocratic government lead by The High Theocrat and his Inquistors' run a merciless regime that is in conflict with rebels.  With war all around her, Emsha is faced with choices that parallel many we have seen with Jedi in the Star Wars EU, all actions have consequences and how far is Emsha willing to go?

The Sixth Floor

If you like zombies, this short story is a fun heart pounding ride.  I really hope to avoid the Zombie Apocalypse its going to suck. 

Conclusion on Ephemera

Ephemera proves that Paul S. Kemp is a very good story teller, with a twisted mind and some rather evil creations.  So naturally this collection left me wanting more.   It is well worth a read an a great introduction into this Author's non-Star Wars works. 

LINKS TO EPHEMERA AND PAUL S. KEMP

Ephemera is available for download at Drive Thru Horror, currently on sale for $0.99. 
Ephemera is also available for download for the Amazon Kindle for $2.99
To follow author Paul S. Kemp on Twitter @Paulskemp and on the Web http://paulskemp.com/

Review: Han Solo at Stars' End by Brian Daley

I. Setting:

One of the most fascinating things about this book is the setting, Stars' End is set in the Corporate Sector, an area of space controlled by the Corporate Sector Authority. 

This idea ties very well into the Prequel films, which feature different corporations and guilds, like the Trade Federation as not just economic entities but political entities with quasi-governmental roles including having their own military forces.  You may not like the political setting of the Prequel films, but in the context of the EU, it fits and is hardly a surprise. 


II. Unofficial Dramatis Personae:

Han Solo, male Corellian smuggler
Chewbacca, male Wookiee smuggler
Atuarre, female Trianni
Pakka, male Trianni cub
Rekkon, scholar/missing person investigator
Torm, CSA agent/spy
Bollux, heavily modified Labor Droid
Blue Max, miniture computer Droid
Jessa, Outlaw-Tech
Doc, Outlaw-Tech
Viceprex Hirken, CSA VP of Corporate Security
Ploovo, criminal/loan shark
Uul-Rha-Shan, Viceprex's bodyguard

III. Story: 

The basics of the story is that Han Solo and Chewbacca are cruising around in the Corporate Sector, trying to earn a living, when because of the Falcon's modifications she runs afoul of the CSA's rules regarding spaceships.  In order to stay out of trouble Han goes looking for an old acquaintance, Doc and his daughter Jesse who run a  nomadic band of  Outlaw-Techs, fugitive Spaceship mechanics. Han wants a forged waiver documents and some special modifications including a new sensor dish (which Lando later looses ) to stay ahead of the CSA's patrols.  It all starts going south when the Outlaw-tech's base is raided, Han in the interest of defending his ship has to join the battle to defend the outlaws.  Through a series of adventures Han and Chewbacca fall in with a crew of CSA dissidents who have lost loved ones to the CSA's secret prison on Stars' Ends.  Eventually Chewbacca is captured by the CSA, and Han must go to rescue him.  Han of course succeeds after blowing the prison tower from the planets crust and almost into orbit. 

This book by Brian Daley is short and a quick read, but its fun and provides a number of firsts and interesting scenes that will be revisited or have continued impact on the EU.  

Was Brian Daley psychic, did he know about the Special Editions long before anyone else.  Take this quote from Han Solo; "I happen to like to shoot first, Rekkon.  As opposed to shooting second." (Ch. VI, pg. 83)

Technologically speaking, this novel marks the first appearnce by the ship that is the predecessor for the X-Wing, the Z-95 Headhunter.  The Headhunter was flown by a number of people in the EU, most notably Mara Jade Skywalker. 

One of the more disturbing ways to die in the EU, is to be thrown into hyperspace.  The basic theory  being that a hyperdrive creates a bubble of hyperspace around the ship, if anything leaves that bubble it will be lost and stuck in hyperspace.  Daley gives us a really cool scene with someone being jettisoned from the Millennium Falcon into hyperspace: "With an explosion of air into vacuum, Torm was hurled out into the chaotic pseudo-reality of hyperspace.  Once outside the Millennium Falcon's mantle of energy, the units of matter and patterns of form that had been Torm ceased to have any coherent meaning." (Ch. VII pg. 120)

We also get an early Clone Wars reference on page 130, where it is mentioned that the droid Bollux served a master during the Clone Wars who was a regimental commander.  Its a bit of a throw away line because so little was known about the Clone Wars in 1979, but with the  

One of my favorite lines of the books is an exchange between Doc and Han that sounds eerily similar to an exchange that Han will have with a young Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley cantina.  "Sonny, energizing an anticoncussion field is not like hot-wiring somebody's skyhopper and going for a joy-ride!" (Ch X pg. 168)

IV. Conclusions:

It is really unfortunate that we lost Brian Daley so young, it would be really cool to see what he would do with Star Wars in the modern EU.  His characterization of a young Han Solo rings very true to me and he writes a fun adventure tale.

You can find this book as part of a compilation with Daley's other Han Solo books, Han Solo's Revenge and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy.  Its worth picking up and getting a slightly different and sometimes slightly dated perspective on the EU. 

I give Han Solo at Stars' End 7.5 out of 10 lightsabers. 

Review: Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber (Spoiler Free)

Joe Schreiber delivers a gore filled follow up to his previous Star Wars horror novel Death Troopers, in this Old Republic era novel.  Was it a bloody good 
novel, or just  plain bloody?

 I) SETTING

Red Harvest is set in 3645 BBY, primarily at the Sith Academy on Odacer-Faustin, there are also a limited number of scenes on Marfa at the site of a Jedi Agriculture Corps lab facility.

Joe Schreiber, author of Red Harvest

II) Unofficial Dramatis Personae:

Hestizo "Zo" Trace, Agricultural Corps Jedi
Dail'Niss, Neti Sith Librarian
Murakami Orchid (Sentient plant)
Rojo Trace, Male Jedi Knight
Pergus Frode, Sith Academy Mechanic
HK, HK Droid (Model # unknown)
Mnah Ra'at, Sith Academy Student
Xat Hracken, Sith Combat Master
Darth Scabrous, Sith Lord, Head of Academy
Dranok, Male Human,Bounty Hunter
Wim Nickter, Sith Acolyte
Lord Shak'Weth, Sith Blademaster
Rance Lussk, Sith Acolyte
Tulkh, Whiphid Bounty Hunter
Jura Ostrogoth, Sith Acolyte
Scopique, Zabrak Sith Acolyte
Kindra, Female Sith Acolyte

III) STORY

One of the biggest early criticisms of Red Harvest has been the length of the novel.  At 242 pages of story (Story starts on page 3 an ends on 244), this novel clocks in as one of the slimmest of Star Wars hardcovers.  It should be noted that Death Troopers was also very slim, at 232 pages (starting on page 3 and ending on page 234).  Though Death Troopers seems to be printed on a thicker stock of paper and also includes a longer excerpt from Fate of the Jedi: Outcast on pages 236 through 265.  The excerpt in Red Harvest is from John Jackson Miller's forthcoming Star Wars novel: Knight Errant and goes from pages 247 to 256.  So in reality Red Harvest is actually longer then Death Troopers in terms of page count, it is just produced in such a way to feel very thin.

As Yoda would say, "Size matters not," what matters is whether the story was satisfying and in the end was it worth the money you paid for it.  In my mind both of Joe Schreibers' novels where very good in their own right, but they feel less like Star Wars then the traditional EU novel.  The concept that a virus could cause a zombie like transformation is hardly the weirdest thing that has been created in the Expanded Universe, and I am not sure how to describe the tension that I feel between these works and other EU works, except in terms of  "feeling like Star Wars" and "not feeling like Star Wars."  All that being said, I actually liked Red Harvest a lot more then I liked Death Troopers and I think it felt more like a Star Wars story the Death Troopers did.

While Red Harvest is a relatively short novel, it doesn't feel like one.  While we have a ton of characters and received multiple points of view, the key is that there is really just one major plot line once everyone gets to Odacer-Faustin.  The star of this novel is really the exponentially expanding virus outbreak and the book is made up of how this rapidly expanding virus effects and interacts with the different characters that are introduced.  No subplots on politics or slavery in this one, its a tooth and nails fight for your life against a seemingly endless army of zombies that have the training and ability to use the force.  If that doesn't sound like a fair fight to you, its because its  not.

Schreiber creates great dramatic tension by crafting a virus that is highly transmissible the are or aren't they infected, plays a large part in much of the novel as characters undergo changes.

There are some very interesting characters and very cool scenes in this novel.  While I was slightly disappointed with Darth Scabrous, who turns out to be rather dumb about his master plan.  Once he reveals what he is up to, there are some pretty big flaws in his plan that seemingly could have been solved before things got out of hand.

I favorite characters in no particular order Mnah Ra'at (Sith Acolyte), Dail'Niss (Sith Librarian), HK Droid, and the bounty hunter Tulkh.  Ra'at is cool because what he lacks in physicality he makes up for in pluck and determination.  Dail'Niss is an interesting character, a bit like an evil Ent from Lord of the Rings.  HK is interesting because of his self awareness and self preservation instincts that kick in, and well the cool weapons are nice too.  Tulkh is just an interesting character a hulking Whiphid with a bad attitude and who is very handy with a spear.     


There are some weird parts of the book, my least favorite is the use of the orchid later in the novel and how it is used against the Sith zombies.

By far my favorite thing in the book is the Tauntauns, I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the novel, but if you thought Luke and Han had a bad experience with Tauntauns, you haven't seen anything yet. 

IV) CONCLUSIONS

Overall, Joe Schreiber crafts a fun book, that is full of over the top gore.  Its not particularly scary, though there are a few interesting twists and surprising fates for certain characters.  I enjoyed it, but I am not sure how it really fits into the EU and it feels like a horror novel set in the Star Wars universe instead of a Star Wars novel with horror in it. 

 I give Red Harvest 7.0 out of 10 lightsabers.

Read Chapter Previews 1-8 below and decide if Red Harvest is for you...

Download Red Harvest Chapter 1: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 2: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 3: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 4: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 5: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 6: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 7: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 8: Here

Order Red Harvest from Amazon.com: Here

Follow Joe Schreiber: Twitter @joeschreiber1 and his blog, http://www.scaryparent.blogspot.com/

Preview Review: Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber: Chapter 8 *SPOILERS*

Warning: The following contains spoilers for the forthcoming novel, Red Harvest.

StarWars.com has released the 8th and final chapter excerpt for Joe Schreiber's latest Star Wars Horror novel, Red Harvest.  Red Harvest tells the origin story of the zombie virus that first appeared as an Imperial bio-weapon in the novel Death Troopers.

Random House Description: 

The era of the Old Republic is a dark and dangerous time, as Jedi Knights valiantly battle the Sith Lords and their ruthless armies. But the Sith have disturbing plans—and none more so than the fulfillment of Darth Scabrous’s fanatical dream, which is about to become nightmarish reality.

Unlike those other Jedi sidelined to the Agricultural Corps—young Jedi whose abilities have not proved up to snuff—Hestizo Trace possesses one extraordinary Force talent: a gift with plants. Suddenly her quiet existence among greenhouse and garden specimens is violently destroyed by the arrival of an emissary from Darth Scabrous. For the rare black orchid that she has nurtured and bonded with is the final ingredient in an ancient Sith formula that promises to grant Darth Scabrous his greatest desire.

But at the heart of the formula is a never-before-seen virus that’s worse than fatal—it doesn’t just kill, it transforms. Now the rotting, ravenous dead are rising, driven by a bloodthirsty hunger for all things living—and commanded by a Sith Master with an insatiable lust for power and the ultimate prize: immortality . . . no matter the cost.

There are cool flowers like Mario's fire flower that give you a quick change of clothes and the ability to shoot fireballs, and then there are flowers that turn you into mindless darkside zombies.  Darth Scabrous is going to get his hands on one of these very rare black orchid flowers and zombie hijinks ensue.


Chapter Dramatis Personae:
Rojo Trace, Male Jedi Knight
Lieutenant Norch, Male, Republic Officer
Captain Tekla Ansgar. Female, Republic Officer

Summary:

The Chapter 8 (Polyskin) excerpt opens at the scene of a  crashed Sith Warship on the planet Geonosis.  We are introduced to an aloof Jedi Knight Rojo Trace, who is the brother of one of the books main characters Hestizo "Zo" Trace a member of the Jedi AgriCorps and the person whom is bonded with and nurturing the rare black orchid flower. 

Rojo gets in a turf battle with a bureaucratic Republic officer Lt. Norch, and gets some unneeded attention by the Jedi Fan Club member Republic officer Captain Tekla Ansgar. 

 After asserting his authority over the crash site and warning the Republic personnel away because of a pocket of dangerous gas the Sith Warship crashed into, Rojo jumps down into the crash site using the force to levitate down and into an opening in the ship.

While investigating the ship, Rojo has a force vision of his sister in danger and pain, "blindsided by a storm of disjointed images: the shaft of a spear, dripping with blood; a flash of green; a whiff of something rancid and feral. His nostrils burned with the stench of a place that had been bottled up too long, a place of death and solitude and agonized last breaths."

Thoughts and Impressions:

Mr. Schreiber has a particular aspect to his writing that many Star Wars authors ignore, that is in depth visual descriptions of his new characters.  We have already seen this with the introduction of Darth Scabrous, but we get the same treatment in Chapter 8 for Rojo Trace. 

Chapter Excerpt #1:  

He was a dark- haired man of unremarkable build and complexion, tall and steady and vaguely handsome in a way that didn’t draw attention to the unshaven jawline, the green eyes, and the faintly smiling lips. Yet for every moment that he stood motionless outside the tent—perhaps listening, perhaps not—a sense of intensity seemed to gather around him, a sense of acute psychological awareness of its own rarefied state.

 I think many of the authors are in the habit of not including such descriptions for two reasons, either the characters are movie characters and we should have an image in our head already what they look like, or the  characters are previously established characters in the EU, and similarly they feel that they have been described sufficiently in the past.

I enjoy getting these in depth descriptions of these characters, it helps fill out the chapters, and if you are new to the EU or to those characters in particular it helps give you a better grasp of who is who in the universe.

In terms of characters introduced in this chapter we really only get Rojo Trace, as both Republic officers are there for him to play off of.  Initial impressions of Rojo are that he is really kind of a jerk.  Is he actually a jerk or is he just a Jedi with particularly poor interpersonal skills?  I suppose we will have to wait until the full novel to find out.

Mr. Schreiber does a very nice job describing Rojo's use of the force, making it easy to visualize not only what he is doing but how he is doing it.

Chapter Excerpt #2: 

Shearing downward through the chasm, he summoned the Force, generating a cushion of resistance beneath him until he felt his free fall slackening, the crater walls slowing down, individual molecules mesh-ing to buffet his descent. Now, with a little bit of concentration, he could see every crack and divot in the rock as it passed.

The weirdest part of the excerpt was what seems to be Rojo Trace channeling Liam Neisson's character from the 2008 movie Taken.

Chapter Excerpt #3:

Listen to me, Trace told him. I don’t know who you are, but I am in possession of a very special set of skills. If you bring my sister back right now, unharmed, then I’ll let you go. But if you don’t, I promise you, I will track you down. I will find you. And I will make you pay.

Quote from the movie Taken via IMDB.com

Bryan: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

 I don't mind this throwback to the movie Taken, as it is one of my recent favorites, as well as the fact that it comes from an actor who appeared in Episode I: TPM as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, but it took me out of the reading of the excerpt for a minute because it sounded so familiar.  Some fans may have issue with this however. 



Read Chapter Previews 1-8 below and get hooked on some Sith Zombies...

Download Red Harvest Chapter 1: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 2: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 3: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 4: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 5: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 6: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 7: Here
Download Red Harvest Chapter 8: Here

Pre-Order Red Harvest from Amazon.com: Here

Follow Joe Schreiber: Twitter @joeschreiber1 and his blog, http://www.scaryparent.blogspot.com/